Attachment for drinking-cups.



G. C. APPLE.

ATTACHMENT FLOR DRINKING CUPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28. |917.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

ATTORNEY seras PATENT nien.

GROVER C. APPLE, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO HABLAN P. BOWMAN, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.

ATTACHMENT FOR DRINKING-CUPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GROVER C. APPLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of North Carolina, have invented new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Drinking-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention compreliends the provision of an attachment for cups, drinking glasses or the like, and is primarily designed for use by infants, young children, and invalids confined to their bed, although it is susceptible for use by others. The invention has in view the provision of means to prevent spilling of the contents of the cup or glass while in use, upon the clothes of the user, table cloth or bed clothing.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the followingy detail description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, the invention residing in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this specification like numerals of reference indicate Vsimilar parts in the several views, and

wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the attachment in position upon a drinking vessel.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

The attachment forming the subject matter of my invention is in the nature of a flanged cap 10 constituting a cover for a drinking vessel such as a cup, glass or the like. The cap is adapted to be fitted upon the mouth of the vessel herein indicated at l1, with the flange 12 preferably fitted within the vessel. The cap has a diameter slightly greater than the mouth of the drinking vessel 11 so that the edge of the cap will protrude a slight distance beyond the body ofthe vessel to facilitate handling of the cap, when associating the cap with the vessel or removing the same therefrom. The cap is provided with an outlet opening 13, while surrounding said opening and rising from the cap is a hollow boss 14. The boss preferably threaded to removably accom-V modate the enlarged threaded portion 17 of a nipple indicated generally at 18. The nipple is reduced or contracted at its upper extremity to provide a relatively narrow elongated mouth piece 19, the latter being perforated as at 20. Aside from the perforations which are Very small, it is obvious that the mouth piece is otherwise closed to pievent insects vor the like gaining access thereinto. The mouth piece is also formed with rounded edges so as to prevent injury to the mouth of the user.

Normally seated upon the flange 15 constituting the valve seat, is a disk valve 2l, while interposed between the valve and the mouth piece is a spring 22 constructed from very light material and very sensitive, so as to readily and easily yield to permit opening of the valve when subjected to a slight suction, when the user endeavors to draw the contents from the cup or drinking vessel into the mouth. While the spring is eX- tremely sensitive for this purpose, it has sufficient tension to maintain the valve against its seat in a position to close the opening 16, so that casual spilling of the contents from the cup during the use of the latter, is positively prohibited. The peripheral edge of the valve is split at spaced intervals to provide a tongue 23 which is adapted to be bent over'one of the adjacent convolutions of the spring with a view of maintaining the spring and valve fixed relatively. Any iiumber of these tongues may be provided, and when these tongues are bent into engagement with the spring as stated the valve is provided with ports 24 which permit the fluid drawn from the vessel to pass from beneath the Valve into the mouth, when the valve is moved to an open position. It will now be observed that the valve 21 and the spring 22 are disposed within the nipple 18, and as the latter is detacliably associated with the boss 14 access maybe readily had to the several parts, when it is desired to clean the same, or for any other purpose, by merely separating the nipple from the boss 14.

The cap 10 may if desired be provided with a vent opening 25 for the admittance of air to facilitate the flow of the contents,

A and this opening is Vnormally closed by a flat resilient element 26, secured to the underside of the cap at one end, and having its free extremity underlying the opening. This element 26 is in the nature of a valve which when subjected to a slight suction is moved downwardly away from the opening 25 forl the admittance of air into the vessel for the purpose above mentioned. While the vent opening 25 is essential, the resilient element 26 m-ay be eliminated. Again however if desired the resilient element or valve 26 may be used solely, in which instance the valve 21 and spring 22 are eliminated. If the resilient element or valve 26 is used in preference to the valve 21 and spring 22, the boss let may be terminated to provide a perforated mouth piece, in which instance the nipple 18 can also be disposed of. It might here be stated that the attachment in its entirety can be constructed from any suitable material and of any desired cross sectional configuration without departing from the spirit of the invention.

While it is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be apparent, -VI desire to have it understood that what is shown and described is not considered restrictive, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is Claimed.

1. A cup attachment embodying a closure therefor having a vent opening, a hollow boss rising from the closure and communieating with the cup7 a valve seat, a spring pressed disk valve normally enga-ging said seat for controlling the communication between the cup and said boss, a nipple detachably secured to the boss and formed to provide a reduced perforated mouth piece, and said disk being notched at'spaced intervals to provide ports for the outflow of the contents from the cup to the nipple.

2. A cup attachment embodying a closure therefor, having a vent opening, a hollow boss rising from the closure and communieating with the cup, a valve seat, a nipple detachably secured to the boss and formed with a reduced perforated mouth piece, a disk valve movable within the nipple and normally engaging said seat for controlling communication between the boss and said cup, a spring disposed within the nipple for holding said valve normally seated, said valve being split at spaced intervals to provide a tongue adapted to be bent into engagement with the-spring to hold .said valve and spring fixed relatively, and said tongue when bent into engagement with the spring provides a port in said valve for the outiow of the contents from the cup to the nipple when the valve is in opened position.

3. A cu-p attachment embodying a. closure therefor having a vent opening, a leaf spring secured tothe under side of the cover and havingits free extremity normallyoverlying said opening, a hollow extension rising from the closure and communicating with the cup,

' a perforated mouth piece on said extension,

and said spring being `adapted to be moved away from the said opening by suction.

4f. A cup attachment embodying a `closure therefor having a vent opening, a Yhollow boss rising from the closure andV communii eating with said cup, a perforated mouth piece associated with the extension, and a spring pressed valve arranged within the mouth piece and controlling the communication between the latter and said cup.

5. A cup attachment embodying a closure therefor having a vent opening, a hollow eX- tension rising from the closure and communicating with the cup, a perforated mouth piece carried by the extension, and a spring pressed valve arranged ywithin the mouth piece, and contro-lling the communication between the mouth piece and the cup, and said valve being moved to open position by suction t-hrough the mouth piece. l

In testimony whereof I atti-X my signature.

GROVER C. APPLE.

Copies of this patent may jbe obtained for five cents each, by andressing the Commissioner o'f Patents. Washington, 1D, C. 

